Hey everyone! I recently got an antique lamp as a gift, and the person who gave it to me mentioned they had replaced some old wires. Now, I'm experiencing some serious issues: when I switch the lamp on and off, it sparks and has blown out two regular bulbs (though the LEDs are still okay, but they spark too). I'm starting to think there might be a polarity problem going on. From what I understand, ribbed wires are usually neutral while smooth ones are hot. It seems to me that the switch is connected to a neutral black wire (which has orange dots on it), and the new outgoing cord might be hooked up with the hot to neutral. What do you all think?
3 Answers
It’s likely the old switch is the culprit here. Just so you know, lamps don’t care about polarity; the hot wire carries current, while the neutral completes the circuit. But a faulty switch could be causing a brief short. If you can’t replace it, you might want to reconsider keeping the lamp for safety reasons!
Do you have any pictures of the wiring? Just a heads up—if you're not super comfortable with electronics and checking voltages, it could end up being risky. Is it really worth the risk of a fire just to fix this lamp?
I initially had the pics attached, but they didn’t stick. I added them via an Imgur link now.
Sounds like there could be a miswiring or maybe the socket and switch need replacing, especially if they’re original and might be worn out.
Thanks for the input! I did re-add the pictures I mentioned in my post. I’ll definitely look into the switch too.
Got it, thanks a lot!